Punjab barred from issuing detention orders

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has temporarily restrained the PML-N-led Punjab government from using powers under Section 3 of the Punjab Detention Act, 1960, for one month.

A single-member LHC bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq, issued this order while hearing a petition filed by PTI Lahore Vice President Yasir Gillani through Advocate Azhar Siddique.

During his arguments, Siddique argued that the provincial government has been using detention orders to target political opponents.

He added that amendments to the detention laws should be made under Article 10-A of the Constitution.

Earlier, the government's counsel informed the court that since 2022, the government has issued 20,000 detention orders, with 4,470 of these issued in 2023 alone.

After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its order, which was later announced.

In its interim ruling, the court prohibited the provincial government from issuing any new detention orders until December 5. It also directed both the petitioner and the respondents to present arguments on the legal standing of Section 3 of the Punjab Detention Act, 1960, at the next hearing.

Section 3 of the Punjab Detention Act grants the provincial government or authorized officials the power to detain individuals if they are deemed a threat to public order, security, or public peace.

This power is typically used during civil unrest or security concerns, though legal protections against arbitrary detention must be observed. Detainees retain the right to challenge such orders in court.